


The Same As Ever

by kreideprinzz



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Relationship, Sleeping Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26299591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kreideprinzz/pseuds/kreideprinzz
Summary: some things never change even when you grow older.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Reader
Comments: 6
Kudos: 126





	The Same As Ever

**Author's Note:**

> I've actually written this on the day of his birthday, and I only posted it just now LMAO

Within the night-loving hours, it was supposed to be a still and peaceful night which devoid from any noises but the sound of the crickets sneaking in some deepest edges of the area and the calming rustles of the leaves swaying through the chilly breeze, harmonizing to one another like an orchestra performing on a theatrical stage.

However, at this moment, heavy patters on the roof and the murky ground imposes in your ears as you stare at the ceiling and listen to the noise for an hour to feel the sleepiness strikes within. You tried to find a suitable sleeping position, for you can finally have a ticket to access to your sweet dreamland. But such a thing only provides you dismay.

Despite the ventures you had done, tossing and turning counting sheep in your mind and humming your favorite tune to lullaby yourself, your consciousness is still widely awake, and the somnolence has yet to kick you as what you aspired to.

Is one of the possible reasons as to why you can’t sleep is because of the fact you aren’t in your room right now, or the weather is just too cold for your fancy?

It is a chilly night today, indeed. After all, it’s been two days since the inception of the rainy season. Prior to the dreary circumstance, the weather forecaster had annunciated that a storm will befall upon the country to which you are now experiencing the heavy droplets of rain hammering the earth and the awning.

The smell of the earth trespasses your nose, and the wind chimes at the engawa clangs, weaving its sound with the rain which proffers an ambiance of tranquillity and peace of mind, and yet it didn’t furnish you the humblest chance to make your eyelids heavy.

Thankfully enough, it was a Saturday night; therefore, you don’t have to worry about having a lack of sleep when you go to school. You never opted to sleep during classes as it was inapt and a loss for you as well by not listening to the lectures that are certainly going to be in your quizzes and exams.

Besides, receiving a mindful scolding from your teachers was the last thing you ever wanted. One of the mindsets you had was to forbear from interacting with them as much as possible asides from asking a question about a specific topic you didn’t quite understand and if they will request something from you. For all you know, being familiar with a teacher will end up with no good on your part. It only leads to you being their errand student and would often ask for assistance that you don’t want to take.

It’s a pain in the butt to decline your teachers since it will be somewhat a boorish approach from their standpoint.

Though the real reason as to why you don’t want to get reprimanded by your teachers and prohibiting you from slacking off is because of your one and only good ol’ childhood friend, Shinsuke.

Receiving blunt lectures from him is the scariest thing to get. In spite of the mellow tone he uses, the fact that he was scolding you with an unfiltered mouth that never floundered made you shrink under his cold gaze and emotionless face. It’s much more terrifying to be lectured by him than your teachers, to be honest. Shinsuke never ceases to make your little hairs on your skin go high whenever he’s in his rebuke mode.

Regardless of being friends with him for a decade, he had never spared you with his sharp tongue as though it was a knife jabbing you in the heart. You never tried to retort as you know full well what the conclusion is. Shinsuke will effortlessly win the battle, and you'll go back home as a poor defeated challenger. That's why you can relate how his teammates felt whenever he would bestow them his cold merciless logic.

Whenever one of them would confront him, their muscles would automatically tense up, and you’d only rub their backs as a sign of comfort after they had received your childhood friend’s mini yet felt like forever lecture. Well, the most unlucky one who’d often be scolded is Atsumu. Since their setter would mostly do some frivolous stunts and do as he pleases, for him to glut his indulgence.

Speaking of which, you are currently staying in their home as you were lonely to be alone in your house, considering your parents are on their business trip for this week. So to speak, you asked Shinsuke and his grandmother’s consent to stay for the night. And to your fortune, both of them accepted right away.

After all, why would they even turn you down when you’ve been having a sleepover in their abode since you were young? Back in the ages, you would sleep in his room and chat about arbitrary things. But the silver-haired boy was never fond of discussing irrelevant themes. Most of his points were about his future, his plans when he enters high school, and other essential matters that should be considered.

Shinsuke is a deep and intelligent man, a lot of things were circulating his mind, and he’s been a curious lad. He seeks justification regarding a certain matter and likes to use logic in every circumstance he’s in. He refuses to waste his time as, for him, time is essential even if it’s just a second. As a friend of his, you understand him and try to catch up to him whether the subject is too much for you to digest.

That aside, before you decided to have a sleepover with Shinsuke, you already had plans under your sleeves. But as always, Shinsuke disrupted your humor as he had given you a smart response and had foreseen what you were going to do. All and all, he had known you since then, so learning your possible endeavors is not something novel for him.

A sigh escapes your lips upon recalling your failed attempt of having fun with Shinsuke. Although you wanted him to loosen up a bit as he has been a hardworking person and it's been a long time since you two spent time together, your ability to convince him to relax and humor himself for a day is inadequate for you to do so.

How can you when he’d bequeath you his cold logic again? And like always, you won’t ever win against him through the battle of words.

You pull your body to sit and settle your gaze on the shoji doors of the room. You stand up then slide the shoji open to watch the scenery outside. A gust of wind bombards you once you fully open the panel, giving you shivers as the coldness embraces your figure. Small puddles have formed as you see the droplets tapping the stored water. The night is quiet from beyond. Whereas the moon hides from the misty clouds with the stars as its companion.

A small smile grows across your face once your memories of the old suddenly relive. It was the days when you and Shinsuke would watch the rain in his room during dusk while wrapped in a sheet to warm yourselves.

He’d share some knowledge he had recently learned, and you were only going to listen to him, taking his information in your understanding, for you can attain his standard and to be a perfect friend for him. Because Shinsuke was perceived as the role model in your school due to his proper etiquette as a student and following the school’s rules flawlessly. Not only that, he’s invariably at the top rankings in examinations, which is why your teachers acknowledged him, and everyone in your school respected him.

That’s the reason why you don’t want to tarnish his reputation just because of a single error you had executed. Regardless of being his childhood friend, being strict to you is in his vocabulary, and it will not be eliminated from his list.

Your friendship with him is the same; he’s always looking after you every time your parents were out of town. They trust him ever since and want you to stick with him as much as possible, as he was a good influence on you.

You chuckle at the thought. Your parents are sure strict to you when it comes to your wellbeing; hence, they counted on Shinsuke to have you under his care. They treated you as if you are a child, albeit you can take care of yourself and decide on your own. However, you won’t dispute that having him around puts you at ease, and more importantly, you had grown to be by his side. So even if you want to hang out with your other friends, you still favor being with him.

In spite of him lacking humor, just feeling his presence and seeing him is already enough to get you entertained. Although everyone has their impression of Shinsuke being a robot and an apathetic guy, you knew to yourself what his good qualities are. After all, you had known him as long as you can remember.

“Why are you still awake, (Name)?” you jerk up in your place once you recognize the voice of your childhood friend. Instantaneously, you turn your head to peer at him, only to see Shinsuke entering the room.

“A-Ah, I can't sleep…” you mutter, but enough for him to hear.

Shinsuke gazes at you for a moment before shifting his eyes at the opened shoji doors and the rain relentlessly pouring down.

“If that is, then you shouldn’t have opened the shoji and watched the rain. This wouldn’t help you sleep at all. It will only keep you awake,” he says, voice woven with indifference, yet the firmness settled. The only action you did is to pout at his surly reply.

“I know. But watching the rain is more entertaining than staring at the gloomy ceiling. Besides, we don’t have school tomorrow, so can you spare me today from your sharp-tongue?” you let out a low chuckle before returning your gaze outside.

Shinsuke didn’t say anything, but only stepped closer and grabbed the blanket that laid on your futon. Without you knowing, he suddenly puts the blanket over you, which surprises you a bit and whips your head at him in a jiffy.

“I can see that you’re cold, given that you’re quivering like a newborn fawn.” Your lips hang, but immediately clasp it when he takes a seat beside you.

He didn’t spare you a glance and remained his attention in the rain. This kind of scenario instantly hooks you with nostalgia. You just recently reminisced about the time when both of you would watch the rain together with a blanket covering your bodies. But right now, the scene before has now changed. You’re the only one who’s encased with a cover while his attention is fixed on watching the rainfall.

Staring at your childhood friend, you are aware of how the little Shinsuke really changed a lot. Puberty really hits him like a truck. His back is broader than he was in middle school, and last time you remembered, your heights were pretty much the same, but now, he’s taller than you. He didn’t have muscles before; he’s a rangy guy back then. But recently, his muscles became patent, and he has a well-built body.

Being in a volleyball club surely improved his appearance a lot. And you were happy for him to be in a circle of rowdy and trouble-prone guys to alter his deemed mundane daily life. It’s good to know that having them around is a great change of pace for him. Although it doesn’t show on his face, you know deep within him, he’s having fun to be with them, especially with those chaotic twins.

“This reminds you of the old times, don’t you think?” you break the silence surrounding you both. Shinsuke, who heard you speak, takes a sidelong glance at you and recalls the days with you in this kind of scenario.

“Yeah, and you kept on bugging me to stay awake because you can’t sleep.”

Your eyelashes flutter, showing a bit of shock from hearing his immediate answer. Shinsuke observes you for a mere second before lifting his lips to convey the words he wants to tell.

“Why do you seem so surprised?” He asked, voice still indifferent as you had known.

“I thought you had forgotten that day since it’s something trivial for you to remember…” your voice was quieter than you expected, but Shinsuke still heard you despite the loud noise of rain.

The aforementioned guy stayed silent for a couple of seconds before shifting in his seat, hands entwining together. “It’s not hard to remember when you’d often hang out around the house. Moreover, you tend to bother me when you’re going to sleep over here back then.”

A sheepish laugh tumbles past your lips as you curl yourself in the blanket. “Oh, right. I forgot about troubling you in the past.”

“You’re the one who forgets, not me.”

The side of your lips curls upwards, giving him a bashful smile for mentioning that he’d forgotten the old times when you’re the one who’s in that category.

You shut your lips as you have nothing in mind to reply to him back. Shinsuke didn’t seem to mind as he faced forward to return from sightseeing the gloomy weather.

“You should sleep. It’s already late,” Shinsuke reminds you. “I will go back to my room.”

Once he announced his departure, your lips pursed, and your mood instantly dropped as you yet wanted him to stay and accompany you for this night like the days when you were young. However, the two of you are now teenagers, you’re not a kid anymore for Shinsuke to pamper you by staying and sleeping with you, and the next morning, you’ll see yourself curled under the sheets as he hugged your form. You look down, staring at the wooden floors with despondency, feeling lonely all of a sudden.

You don’t have the tenacity to ask him that again since it’d be immature of you to do that, especially it’s embarrassing to say it to a grown Shinsuke. Besides, it’s already discernible that he’ll literally reject your request once you ask it.

“What’s with the long face, (Name)? Do you have anything to say to me?” He queries, scrutinizing your features to identify what’s bothering you.

After a brief second, you flash him an assuring smile. “It’s nothing. You should return to your room. Don’t worry about me; I’m going to sleep soon.”

Shinsuke observes you for a moment. He recognizes the way you look at him and the tone of your voice. It’s similar to the expressions you’d present when something’s bothering you, the skeptical gaze, yet maintaining a cool façade for him not to distinguish your condition.

“Your reassurance won’t work on me. I know you have something to say, so spill it to me right now,” Shinsuke said softly, yet there’s a smudge of authority in the tone of his voice.

You fidget in your spot, lips parted a bit as you peer at him with fear and timidity. This is the one thing you hate about him, he’s good at observing people, and there’s no room for you to escape from those eyes of his. He already knows about your gestures and expressions when something’s concerning you. He had a perfect grasp on your personality very well.

“T-There’s nothing, really!” You wave your hands while shaking your head for him to buy your lie. There’s no way you’re going to spill it to him, it’s embarrassing as hell. You two are already grown-ups!

Shinsuke’s intense stare at you only proffers you nothing but anxiety. You pray to the Gods that he won’t see through you, or you’re going to dig your own grave right now. You don’t know how you’re going to escape from your situation, but you are aware that attempting to elude won’t be the best course of action at this instant. His suspicions will only develop further.

“Do you want me to stay?”

Your heart leaps inside your chest and nearly topples from your sitting spot once he said that question. It surely caught you off guard, and it seems that your eyes are going to fall out of its sockets.

“H-Huh?!” You didn’t intend to say it aloud, but your astonishment got the best of you. How can you when you’re too astounded to remain calm?

This is indeed shocking for you to handle.

“Your words before said otherwise. It’s obvious on your face that you want me to stay,” he says without intervals.

This causes your jaw to slacken, and eyes grow wider. You feel your face heating up as the seconds pass by. You have no say, and even if you were to deny, he would still detect that you’re lying. He knows your habit when you lie, so why bother to exert effort that’s going to be useless in the end?

“That’s why I don’t want to say it! It’s embarrassing and immature of me to say that…” you mutter, slowly averting your gaze from him as you look at the puddle of water.

When Shinsuke doesn't say a single word, and the silence engulfs the room, your nervousness only increases in which you are inclined to run away just to escape from the humiliation you had done.

“I agree with the second part of your sentence,” he suddenly speaks, causing you to bury your chin against your knees due to shame. “But I’m already used to your immaturity. Aren’t you acting childish most of the time?”

You feel like a brick has fallen upon you at his statement. “Well, I’m sorry if I am.”

A ghost smile makes its way across his face upon hearing your bitter admission. “That’s why, if you have any concerns, you can rely on me whether it's childish or not. We’ve been together ever since, so you don’t need to be embarrassed.”

Hearing his heartfelt advice makes your lips tremble and eyes to reel, feeling that you’re going to cry at any moment. But you hold the tears that are threatening to fall; instead, you let out a quiet chortle.

“If you say that, then you have no complaints of sleeping together like we did when we were kids?” Your question has a playful tone in it, trying to lift the mood up.

“If it will make you sleep, then I have no complaints.”

You bite your lower lips and feel yourself blushing at his prompt answer. But you won’t deny that a part of you was pleased with it.

“I’m going to close the shojis and go back to your futon,” he prompts, which you complied with him.

Both of you rise up to your feet as you trudge to your futon to lie down while Shinsuke closes the panel as what he said. As he slides the panel to close it, the scenery that once you paid attention to was now out of sight. Instead, your eyes are now fixed on the silver-haired man walking closer to you.

Now that he approached you, your heart suddenly thumps once your mind assimilates that you’re going to cuddle with him, just like the old times.

Shinsuke crouches and sits down. “Can you move?”

“Eh?” you blink in confusion.

“How can I lie when you’re taking all the space?” When you understand what he was implying, you move to the side to give him space. Fortunately, you have two pillows enough to provide for your heads.

“I’m in disbelief that you’re still asking me to sleep together despite your age.” Shinsuke chuckles at you playfully, making you pout.

“I’m not the one to blame when I’m just missing the old times. Also, we barely have time to spend a day together since you were busy with volleyball, especially you’re the captain.” You don’t want to be sentimental at this moment, but it’s hard for you to stop your emotions, knowing your positions nailed you with nostalgia.

You missed your childhood friend in spite of only being neighbors.

“I did remind you that you’re free to come into our house if you don’t have anything else to do.”

“But whenever I did, you’d always disrupt my plan on spending the day with you,” you say matter-of-factly as you release a huff.

“I did?”

His nonchalant reaction had you knit your eyebrows. “You did! You were going to turn me down followed by your cold logic.” You roll your eyes upon remembering those times of him rejecting you. “Or you were busy tending the plants and going to school to practice with your teammates.”

Shinsuke recalled the times when you crashed in their place and declined your requests more often, or he’ll straightly tell that he was busy at the moment. Upon the assimilation of his prior behavior toward you had him feel guilty.

“I do apologize, but not on the part where we have volleyball practice,” he bluntly says, and you solely release a small sigh.

“Of course, it’s not your fault. But you know… I feel a little lonely when you’re going to reject my plans. I am aware that it’s far from your fancy, but you can still reconsider it. After all, I just want you to have fun for once…”

Your eyes droop, pulling the blanket over your nose to hide the half of your face. The volleyball captain stares at you with a tad bit wide eyes upon hearing your reason. This is the first he heard those words from you since he’s utterly aware of how you’d tend to retreat yourself from telling others what you wanted to say.

You never have been a straightforward person as you’re the type to think your reason first before telling it across. It will take you minutes, and in the end, you’ll never say it. For that reason, witnessing you speaking freely with him makes him surprised just a little bit and happy for you at the same time.

“I like it more when you’re like this,” he says out of the blue, earning your attention with utter bewilderment.

“What do you mean?”

A gentle smile forms across his visage. “When you’re this straightforward. It’s refreshing to witness.”

You inhale a sharp breath upon seeing the smile of your childhood friend that he rarely presents. It’s the smile you craved ever since as he tends to plaster an impassive appearance when he’s not around his grandmother.

Butterflies flap in your abdomen as it synchronizes with your racing heartbeat. It appears that the flow of time slows down, and the sound of the rain falls deaf in your ears. Your whole awareness seems to be focused on him like a camera, which only captures the most beautiful view you had found. You didn’t intend to stare at him for longer than you imagined, but it was too enthralling for you to tear your gaze away.

Shinsuke notices that you have yet to move or stir in your position, but your gaze is still fixed on him, looking at him, like you haven’t seen each other for years.

“(Name)?” He called, and it was enough to snap you out from your daze to which you were thankful for. He might creep out for staring at him like that. “Is something wrong?”

You shake your head and pull the blanket down that’s covering half of your face.

“I was thinking that you really have a nice smile, Shin,” you say with a gentle and genuine voice. And the said man remains still, waiting for you to finish what you’re going to tell. “I like it when you smile, it’s refreshing to sight.”

Beholding how you grinned at him similar to the ones when both of you were young. It was a childish smile, yet pure and sincere that he couldn’t restrain the side of his lips to twitch upwards, smiling along with you. But one thing that coerced him to elicit a light chuckle is due to the words that he had said as well.

“You sure do like to copy my words, are you not?”

You giggle. “What? I’m just returning the compliment you had given me. Besides, it’s rare for you to do that, you know? But seriously though, you should smile often. Granny will definitely be ecstatic if you did.”

Your suggestion causes him to raise his one eyebrow. “I’m often smiling at granny.”

“I mean, not solely to granny, but to everyone, especially to your teammates.”

“Is there a plausible reason for you to tell that?” Shinsuke glues his gaze on you, curiosity embellishes his eyes, and you recognize that look. You know that he’s seeking a valid answer again.

Before you provide him your response, you shift in your position, preparing yourself to slip the words out your lips. “...to tell you honestly, it’s not something important for you, but smiling will abate the antagonistic impression they had for you. Well, I know you don’t mind what they see you as… but I want to prove to them that they are wrong all this time. I want to defend you as much as I can since I’m your friend and all. It’s not important to you, but for me, it does.”

Shinsuke listens, and after you said your reason, he couldn’t help but feel warm at your words and the way you are concerned for him. He’s appreciative of the thought, however, as you mentioned, he doesn’t mind what others think of him. If he sees him as a robot that’s devoid of any emotions, he could care less. What only matters are that his grandmother is by his side, his teammates who accept him for who he is and especially, you, who stayed and understood him despite being cold toward you sometimes.

Without any warning, Shinsuke’s hand found its way to your head, giving you a pat that causes your heart to beat violently and feel warm inside. It’s been a while since you received a head pat from him, and to this day, it still never ceases to make you felicitous.

“I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry about that. I’m fine as it is.” He retracts his hand atop your head before smiling softly at you. “It’s already late, we should sleep now.”

The only response you gave was a nod and pulled the cover to your shoulders. “Are you gonna tend the flowers tomorrow?”

“Yes, why did you ask?”

“Can I help you with it?”

Shinsuke nods. “Do as you please, if you’re going to wake up early tomorrow, that is.”

“Eh, wake me up so I can help you!” you whine, which makes him snicker.

“Will do. But don’t blame me if you didn’t wake up.”

After saying you will definitely wake up, the two of you start to curl under the shared blanket and say goodnight to each other before closing your eyes to doze off.

A smile plasters on your face, feeling blissful since the old times you did with Shinsuke is repeating once again.

Shinsuke’s grandmother woke up in the middle of the night, in need to hydrate her dry throat. She releases herself under the blankets before standing up to go to the kitchen. As she walks through the corridors, she decides to take a peek in your room to know if you’re sleeping peacefully.

Once she reaches the door of your room, she painstakingly slides the panel to refrain from any sounds that might wake you up from your slumber. As she peeks her head on the shoji, her eyes widen for a brief second before softening her gaze at the nostalgic scene she’s witnessing.

Both of you are curled up under the blanket as her grandson’s arm is on your waist while you’re sleeping nearly to his chest. She couldn’t help but grin as she remembers those times you had slept in their house during your childhood days.

“Some things really never change, isn’t it? They are the same as ever,” she whispers to herself and subsequently closes the door to leave the two of you alone.

“I’m looking forward to Shin-chan and (Name)’s wedding.” She giggles before trudging her way to the kitchen.


End file.
